Reflector



June 9, 1925.

A. SOLOSABAL REFLECTOR Filed April 23, 23

INVLMIYR Awares 30/0 5050/ ATTORNEY.

Patented June 9, 1925.

UNITED STATES PATENT lorr es;

humans soLosABAL, on BOISE, m ne;

REFLECTOR.

Application filed April 23, 1923. SerialNo. 633,821.

substantially surfaces of revolutions The principal difference between the upper and lower portions of the reflecting surfaces is that the lower portion is lefta true surface of revolution and the upper portion is flattened preferably at successive portions to slightly break or interrupt the continuity of the true surface of revolution and thus interfere toa slight degree with what would otherwise be the reflecting action of that part of the surface of revolution. While the generating curve employed to form the surface. of revolution is preferably a parabola, thus producing a paraboloid of revolution, I do not limit myself to this exact generating curve as any curve may be used for the purpose that will give the desired reflecting effect. f

Another important feature of my invention is that I provide the reflector with an open end lying in a plane at an acute angle to the axis of revolution of the reflecting surface This is for the purpose ofpermitting the open end of the reflector to be placed in close proximity to the front end of any desired headlight casing and substantially in parallel relation thereto, while at the same time the axis of the'beam of light projected from the reflector shall be directed downwardly to illuminate the roadway, rather than being directed horizontally, for which condition a large part of the light from the reflector would not strike the roadwayand would be ineffective and what is even more important, would be in adirection to produce a glaring eflect in the eyes of f headlights as a'whole, were directed downtiallya vertical plane, although the open end In my improved reflector,

'nection with the wardly, and with improvedconstruction ofreflector, with, the headlight casing mounted ina, position suchthat itsaxis is horizontalfand its front end is in substanof the reflector will also be in substantially a vertical plane, the axis of the projected beam of, light is directed downwardly to prevent glarein the eyes of pedestrians and thedrivers of other vehicles and with the desirable effect also of better illuminating the roadway than where the axis of the beam of light is substantially;horizontal.

The upper portion of the reflecting surface I of my reflector consists preferably of a plurality of slightly flattened surfaces adjacent to eachother and covering substantiallytthe entire upper half of the reflecting surface, the flattening effect being slight,

and although the surface. is still substantially a surface-of revolution, the flattening is suflicientto prevent theprojection from the upperhalf of the reflecting surface of an intensely concentrated beamof light, the flattened portions serving to difluse the light somewhat this diffusion being sufficient to V prevent glare in the eyes of pedestrians and the drivers of other vehicles if the beam from the upper portion'of the reflecting surface is directed high enough to strike pedestrians and the drivers of other vehicles.

My improved reflector construction pro: vides'also a means for securely holding an electric lamp in focusing position in the reflector and at the same time permitting motion of the lamp axially of the reflector to focus: the-lamp; therein, the .lamp being securely held in any: desired position by meansfof an improved spring clamping device, as will be more fully explained inconbelow. i

My invention will best-be understood by reference to the accompanying drawings showing a preferred embodiment thereof, in whiclr description of the drawings 7 Fig. 1 shows my reflector in front eleva tion,

Fig. 2 is a tion shown Fig; 3 is .a sectional view; of the reflector shrzlwnin' ltaken along the line 33, an i ,Fig. 4 shows inirearelevationthe lamp sectional view of construcinF g. 1 taken alongthefline supporting tube projecting from the reflector and the relation of the. lamp clamping mechanism thereto. 1

Similar numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

As shown in Figs. 1 and 2 the reflector consists of a metal structure 10 having an inner reflecting surface which is preferably a surface of revolution described around the axis 1111. The open front end of the reflector 10-is preferably in a plane as indicated at 1212 in Fig. 2, forming an acute angle with the axis 1111, as a result of which the mechanical axis of the reflector is substantially as represented by the line 1313. Y 4 As a result of the construction described,

in mounting the reflector in a headlight cas-.

ing in accordance with the usual practice, the surface 1212 is made substantially parallel with the-front end of the casing, thus bringing the mechanical axis 1313 into horizontal position, for which condition the beam of light about the optical axis 11 -11 of the reflector is projecteddownwardly by'an amount equal to the angle between the axes 1111-and 1318. This -downward projection of the beam of light may in some cases be suflicient to prevent projecting the'beam of light'into'th'e eyes of pedestrians and the drivers-of other vehicles and eliminating undesirable glare in this connection and the eflect furthermore is to better illuminate'the roadwayand thus 7 give greater certaintyin connection with driving isused. I

To further insure pedestrians and the drivers of other vehicles against the undesirable glare referred to, I provide a second novel feature in my reflector consisting of slightly flattening the upper-portion of the reflector as indicated atlO", 10*, 10, 10 and.10 these flattened sections of the reflecting surface being preferably adjacent to each other and extending'vertically of the reflector from substantially the horizontal diameter thereof tothe upper edge the vehicle on which the reflector thereof. The effect of-these flattened surfaces is illustrated in F ig- 3. Assuming the reflector surface to be a paraboloid of revolution, the mid portion of each flattened surface. vertically, is substantially the same as though the flattened surfaces were not used and the rays projected from thesemid portions vertically are projected in substantially parallel relation with the optical axis 1111 of the reflector as indicated at lt 1 1" 1 1, 14 and 14% It is further to be noted that the several rays projected from the mid portion vertically which lie in a verti cal plane extending through said mid portion, are all projected in substantially parallel relation to the optical axis 1111 of the reflector as indicated at 14 in Fig. 2 for the flattened portion 1090f the reflecting surface. The other rays reflected from each of the flattened portions are, however, nonparallel and diverge from each other as they leave the flattened surfaces, as indicated at 15 15 15, 15 and 15 in Fig. 8, the amount of this divergence for any section, depending, upon the particular curvature of the reflecting surface and therefore the degree of flattening, which divergence it will be understood, varies from top to roundings generally and the lower portion of the beam is effective 1n illuminating-the roadway. Itwill further be observed that I produce this desirable effect with a construction readily made and'of extreme simplicity. I v j As is well known in operating-reflectors of the kind under consideration, it is of great importance v that the lamp employed shall be at the focal point of the reflecting surface. As indicated in Fig. 2, I show an electric lamp 16 mounted in a tube 17 extending rearwardly from the reflector 10, the base 16 of the lamp being preferably a free sliding fit in the tube. The tube 17 has cut through its wall a slot 17 in which an annular spring 18 is disposed, said spring extending through said slot, and thus slightly into the bore of the tube and held in place by having its ends extending around the tube on the outer'surface thereof. The relation of these parts is more clearly shown in Fig. 4. As a result of the construction described, inserting the lamp 16 into the tube 17 moves the spring 18 outwardly from the bore of employ equivalents known to the art at the time of tlie filing of this application without departing from the'scope of the ap pe ded claim.

lVhat I claim is A reflector comprising upper and lower reflecting surfaces each extending over substantially half of the total reflecting surface, said lower half surface being an unmodified paraboloid of revolution and said upper half surface consisting of a plural-,.

ity of vertically extending zones, each of said zones being of parabolic conformation in vertical section and of flat conformaof said reflector being at an acute angle to the reflector axis inclining said axis down- Wardly when said front edge is in a vertical plane.

In Witness whereof, I hereunto subscribe my name this 16th dav of April, A. D.

ANDRES SOLOSABAL. 

